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: deal · fan · toast · vault · arm · racket · court · chair

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. deal — to handle
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — bread
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. vault — a safe
  23. court — of law
  24. arm — part of the body

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