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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · board · hide · court · cell · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cell — a phone
  4. court — for sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — in music
  13. court — of law
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — to get on
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cell — in biology

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