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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. court — for sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fork — in a road
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — soda
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. court — of law
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. court — of a king

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