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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. court — of a king
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cap — of ice
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. game — a match
  10. object — an aim
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cap — a hat
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — wild animals
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — a trail
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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