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: wave · court · can · present · deal · net · racket · chair

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. present — a gift
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — in sport
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. net — for catching
  19. present — there
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — the time now
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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