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: squash · straw · plane · ruler · court · band · date · wax

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — of law
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — a tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. date — the fruit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. squash — to crush
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. band — a music group

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