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

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. season — of the year
  3. suit — to fit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — a law
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. track — a path
  12. suit — clothes
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. capital — a city
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. capital — money
  20. suit — in cards
  21. court — for sport
  22. rule — government
  23. court — of law
  24. rule — to rule out

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