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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. scale — size or range
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. court — of law
  6. club — for golf
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. scale — in music
  10. fine — all right
  11. court — for sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — in sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. season — of the year
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. plane — a tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — high quality
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of a king
  24. club — a group

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