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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. spring — the season
  3. spell — letters
  4. object — to protest
  5. row — to paddle
  6. court — of law
  7. spell — a short time
  8. object — a thing
  9. spring — of water
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. firm — decided
  15. court — of a king
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — a coil
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. firm — steady
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. firm — a company
  23. row — a line
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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