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 · jam · chair · deal · spring · toast · safe · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. drill — a practice
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. court — for sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. court — of a king
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. toast — bread
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. court — of law
  18. spring — of water
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chair — a leader
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. deal — to handle

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