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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. court — of a king
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a line of people
  7. sharp — clever
  8. court — for sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. file — a document
  21. chair — a leader
  22. board — to get on
  23. lean — thin
  24. court — of law

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