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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. court — for sport
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cell — a phone
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cell — in biology
  14. board — to get on
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. court — of law
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pit — in a race
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. board — a committee

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