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: straw · stand · board · content · band · court · cabinet · ruler

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. court — of law
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — the amount
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stand — to bear
  11. board — to get on
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. band — a ring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. content — happy
  18. court — for sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. content — videos and posts

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