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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pit — a hole
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — of a king
  9. pitch — completely
  10. vault — a safe
  11. court — of law
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. perch — the fish
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stock — goods
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stock — shares
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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