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 will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. scale — in music
  3. court — of law
  4. lean — thin
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. scale — size or range
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. court — for sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — of a king
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bound — certain

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