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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — for sport
  5. march — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. foot — a measure
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. march — the month
  11. court — of law
  12. cold — not warm
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cold — an illness
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. court — of a king
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. march — the month
  24. jam — in traffic

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