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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. club — for dancing
  3. court — of a king
  4. march — the month
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. press — newspapers
  7. net — after costs
  8. court — of law
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — a hint
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — the month
  13. net — for catching
  14. press — to push
  15. face — to confront
  16. court — for sport
  17. face — to point toward
  18. club — a group
  19. march — music
  20. club — for golf
  21. cue — a signal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cue — for pool

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