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: court · ball · nail · key · mine · pass · deal · cell

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — in music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cell — a phone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. key — the most important part

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