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: can · lie · snap · court · wind · prune · wound · club

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. court — for sport
  7. club — for golf
  8. wind — moving air
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. court — of law
  13. club — for dancing
  14. can — to be able to
  15. club — a group
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. snap — to click
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lie — to recline
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — the fruit

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