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: present · court · straw · rock · ball · mug · root · snap

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — a face
  5. root — of a plant
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. root — the cause
  10. court — of a king
  11. snap — to click
  12. mug — a cup
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — a gift
  17. mug — to rob
  18. court — for sport
  19. present — there
  20. root — of a word
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — the time now

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