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 120 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: hand · court · charge · squash · sharp · mug · firm · rest

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — help
  7. court — of law
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — in control
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hand — in cards
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. firm — steady
  18. charge — electricity
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. court — of a king
  21. charge — a price
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. court — for sport

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