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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — certain
  15. mate — a friend
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mate — to breed
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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