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 · swing · mine · wake · cabinet · mark · fan · rule

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rule — government
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rule — a law
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — of a king
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mark — a trace
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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