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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. court — of law
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. band — a music group
  8. prune — to trim
  9. court — for sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. firm — steady
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — of a king
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — a partner
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. firm — decided
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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