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: stick · squash · court · pound · board · hand · mine · fork

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. court — of a king
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hand — help
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — in a road

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