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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. court — for sport
  4. foot — a measure
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hand — help
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. track — a path
  14. hand — in cards
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — of a king
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. spell — letters

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