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: ruler · firm · board · fan · band · bay · mine · court

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. firm — steady
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. firm — a company
  13. band — a music group
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. firm — decided
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a committee
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. mine — an explosive

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