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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rule — government
  5. rash — a series
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rule — a law
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chair — a leader
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. court — of a king
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pass — a permit

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