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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pop — to visit
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. last — to go on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. court — of a king
  8. club — a group
  9. ball — a dance
  10. band — a music group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — final
  13. pop — music
  14. court — of law
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. last — finally
  17. band — a ring
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a great time
  20. court — for sport
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — soda

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