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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — in a road
  6. band — a ring
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a music group
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. suit — in cards
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — to bear
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. capital — money
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. court — of law
  21. lean — thin
  22. capital — a city
  23. lean — to bend
  24. court — for sport

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