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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. current — happening now
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. band — a ring
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a dance
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. scale — in music
  17. band — a music group
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ground — the earth
  22. current — electric
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ball — a round shape

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