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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. suit — clothes
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. suit — to fit
  5. court — for sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. game — a match
  8. club — a group
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. club — for dancing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. court — of law
  18. club — for golf
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chest — of your body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chest — a box
  24. bank — for money

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