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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — for digging
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rule — government
  6. court — for sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. track — a path
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. court — of a king
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — of law
  21. rule — a law
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. board — to get on
  24. track — a song

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