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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. file — a tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a great time
  5. court — for sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. court — of a king
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. file — a line of people
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a document
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — of law

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