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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. charge — electricity
  3. court — of law
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lie — to recline
  6. court — of a king
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rest — a break
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — a price
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — a song
  24. charge — in control

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