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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. net — for catching
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. key — the most important part
  22. net — after costs
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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