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 · scale · spell · band · pound · court · can · net

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — letters
  4. band — a ring
  5. court — for sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. band — a music group
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. scale — in music
  10. court — of law
  11. scale — size or range
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spell — magic
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mug — a face
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. net — after costs
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — a short time
  24. can — a tin

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