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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — of a king
  4. club — for dancing
  5. firm — a company
  6. club — a group
  7. court — for sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. club — for golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — decided
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. court — of law
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to sink

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