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 · court · mouse · fan · tube · pop · bound · leaves

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — for sport
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bound — certain
  11. tube — the underground
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — to visit
  19. court — of law
  20. pop — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. court — of a king

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