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: drill · staff · band · lie · present · rule · court · jam

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. band — a music group
  3. present — a gift
  4. court — of a king
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — employees
  12. band — a ring
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. staff — a stick
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. staff — employees
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. court — of law

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