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: mug · jam · mark · chip · hand · cabinet · wax · court

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mug — to rob
  4. court — of a king
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — a cup
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. court — for sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a face
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — in cards

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