ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cue — a signal
  5. court — of law
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. file — a tool
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. kid — child
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cue — a hint
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cue — for pool
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com