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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pop — music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. object — an aim
  6. net — for catching
  7. court — of law
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. object — to protest
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pop — to visit
  18. net — after costs
  19. court — of a king
  20. net — in sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. object — a thing
  23. pop — soda
  24. stem — to come from

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