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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — army training
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — a thing
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lean — thin
  17. court — of law
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. object — an aim
  22. court — for sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. lean — to rest against

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