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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. band — a ring
  5. court — for sport
  6. last — final
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. band — a music group
  14. last — finally
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — to go on
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bear — to put up with

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