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 116 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. season — in sport
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bound — tied together
  5. season — of the year
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. bound — certain
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. firm — a company
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rock — a stone
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mine — for digging
  20. vault — a safe
  21. court — of a king
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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