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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. court — of law
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rush — a thrill

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