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: hand · swing · can · straw · court · board · bear · stand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — to get on
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. court — of law
  20. swing — to play on
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — help

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