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: mine · staff · swing · net · fall · bound · mug · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mug — a face
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — obliged
  6. net — in sport
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mine — for digging
  10. net — after costs
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — in golf
  13. staff — a stick
  14. court — for sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. court — of law
  18. net — for catching
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fall — the season

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