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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. court — for sport
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. face — to point toward
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. face — to confront
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ball — a great time
  17. court — of a king
  18. mine — for digging
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. face — part of the head
  23. court — of law
  24. ruler — for measuring

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