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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. press — a publisher
  9. court — of law
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ground — the earth
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ground — a position
  15. press — to push
  16. mate — a partner
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. plane — an aircraft

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