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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. court — of law
  4. hand — help
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. court — of a king
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — soda
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — a container
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. court — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pop — to visit

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