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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. land — a country
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. toast — bread
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. land — ground
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. land — to come down
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. clip — to cut
  19. band — a ring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. court — of a king
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. band — a music group

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