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 124 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. court — of a king
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — ground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. court — of law
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rash — hasty
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — a series
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. court — for sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — a loud noise

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