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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. court — of law
  6. file — a line of people
  7. roll — a list
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pound — a weight
  10. court — for sport
  11. file — a document
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cap — of ice
  16. roll — a cake
  17. squash — the sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — the vegetable

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