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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — of law
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. court — for sport
  20. press — to push
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mine — for digging

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