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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. firm — decided
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. firm — steady
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — for sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — a company
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — of a king
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. patient — a sick person

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