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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stem — to come from
  10. lean — thin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — to bend
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ruler — for measuring

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