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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. court — of law
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. court — of a king
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — in music
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. court — for sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. band — a music group
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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