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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. last — finally
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — the amount
  7. cue — a hint
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. last — final
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a match
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. court — for sport
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. last — to go on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. court — of a king
  24. game — a kind of play

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