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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — for sport
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ground — a position
  9. court — of a king
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — all right
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. root — of a word
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — clever
  23. root — the cause
  24. ground — the earth

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