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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  3. march — music
  4. court — for sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — of ice
  11. court — of a king
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — a hat
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. trunk — of a car
  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