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: court · tube · bowl · pass · kid · band · fan · key

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — in music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. court — for sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kid — to tease
  9. tube — the underground
  10. court — of law
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. band — a music group
  17. court — of a king
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kid — child
  22. band — a ring
  23. tube — a container
  24. key — for a lock

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