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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — for sport
  3. club — a group
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. court — of law
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. band — a ring
  15. court — of a king
  16. band — a music group
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. band — a rubber band

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