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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fall — the season
  3. fork — in a road
  4. dip — to sink
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — in music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. court — of law
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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