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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — a leader
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cue — for pool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. court — of law
  21. last — final
  22. cue — a signal
  23. last — finally
  24. vault — a safe

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