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 116 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: rest · suit · firm · wound · game · hand · court · rash

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. firm — decided
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. court — of law
  12. rest — a break
  13. hand — help
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of a king
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — a company
  18. court — for sport
  19. suit — clothes
  20. firm — steady
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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