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 120 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 · lean · racket · fan · ruler · wound · board · game

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. court — of law
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wound — an injury
  7. game — a match
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. court — for sport
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. board — a committee
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — of a king
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — to get on

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