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: court · content · band · lie · bowl · bulb · rush · rock

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. court — of a king
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. court — of law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a music group
  15. content — happy
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. content — the amount
  20. court — for sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rock — a stone

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