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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. squash — the sport
  3. staff — a stick
  4. sharp — clever
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lie — to recline
  7. band — a music group
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. staff — employees
  17. court — for sport
  18. rock — a stone
  19. court — of a king
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. sharp — exactly

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