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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — to push
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. court — of law
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stock — goods
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stock — shares
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bound — certain

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