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: patient · court · pop · ball · squash · bowl · stand · rule

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pop — soda
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. squash — to crush
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pop — music
  11. rule — government
  12. court — for sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — to bear
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bowl — a dish

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