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: bay · bore · wake · cell · court · deal · ball · key

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ball — a dance
  8. court — of law
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ball — a great time
  15. key — in music
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. deal — an agreement

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