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: fine · racket · bear · spell · pop · file · pound · court

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. file — a line of people
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. court — for sport
  5. pop — to visit
  6. court — of a king
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of law
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pop — soda
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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