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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pound — a weight
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mug — a cup
  7. court — of a king
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mug — a face
  10. court — of law
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chip — for betting
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. march — music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. straw — a straw man

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