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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — of law
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. land — to come down
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — a container
  17. court — of a king
  18. land — a country
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — ground
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — for a computer

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