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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. last — final
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. court — for sport
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hand — in cards
  8. court — of a king
  9. mug — a face
  10. last — finally
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of law
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — to go on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — clothes
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mug — to rob
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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