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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. court — of a king
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wind — moving air
  13. court — for sport
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. tube — a container
  17. rule — government
  18. court — of law
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. toast — bread
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tube — the underground
  23. land — ground
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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