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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. current — of water
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. land — ground
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. land — a country
  10. current — happening now
  11. object — an aim
  12. hand — help
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. object — a thing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. object — to protest
  20. land — to come down
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hand — in cards
  23. current — electric
  24. bear — the animal

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