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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. object — a thing
  7. court — of a king
  8. swing — to play on
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. swing — in golf
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. object — an aim
  15. swing — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — to protest
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. sharp — clever
  21. court — for sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bulb — of a plant

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