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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chair — a leader
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. court — for sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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