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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. land — to come down
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. court — of a king
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. land — a country
  15. ball — a great time
  16. court — of law
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fine — all right
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. court — for sport

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