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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of law
  4. march — the month
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. court — of a king
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — shares
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. march — the month
  24. stock — goods

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