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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — in music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — army training
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — the tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. tube — a container
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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