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: court · last · rock · bat · key · club · date · toast

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. bat — the animal
  4. key — in music
  5. last — to go on
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. key — for a lock
  9. court — for sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. last — finally
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — for golf
  18. last — final
  19. date — the fruit
  20. toast — bread
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — the most admired

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