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: dip · game · pop · court · nail · rule · board · band

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. game — a match
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. pop — music
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pop — soda
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a music group
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. court — for sport
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. band — a ring
  18. board — to get on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. court — of a king
  21. pop — to visit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. game — wild animals
  24. band — a rubber band

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