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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lean — thin
  9. swing — to play on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. court — for sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — in football
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. court — of law

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