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 116 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: straw · court · lean · mate · chip · content · board · hand

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. hand — in cards
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. court — for sport
  5. mate — a partner
  6. court — of a king
  7. lean — to bend
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hand — help
  10. content — the amount
  11. mate — to breed
  12. board — a committee
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — to get on
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — happy
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — to eat
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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