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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. court — of a king
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a path
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — rain
  11. bulb — for light
  12. court — for sport
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — to breed
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. track — a song
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. track — to keep track
  23. shower — to wash
  24. court — of law

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