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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. court — for sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. suit — in cards
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. net — in sport
  21. court — of law
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pop — music
  24. fall — the season

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