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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pass — a permit
  3. firm — steady
  4. present — there
  5. stock — shares
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. drill — army training
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. firm — decided
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stock — goods
  16. file — a line of people
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. file — a tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — a company
  23. file — a document
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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