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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fine — high quality
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — music
  12. race — a contest
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — all right

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