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: track · firm · spell · press · bowl · saw · club · court

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — decided
  4. track — a path
  5. spell — magic
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spell — a short time
  9. firm — a company
  10. club — for golf
  11. court — of law
  12. press — newspapers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — a song
  18. press — a publisher
  19. court — for sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. firm — steady
  23. press — to push
  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