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 124 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — to push
  6. content — happy
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. press — newspapers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. press — a publisher
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. court — of law
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. content — the amount

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