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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — in sport
  3. cold — an illness
  4. net — for catching
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cap — a lid
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. court — of a king
  21. cold — not warm
  22. court — of law
  23. net — after costs
  24. board — a committee

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