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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bear — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. court — for sport
  10. cold — not warm
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — a sauce

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