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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — a city
  4. court — of a king
  5. stand — to bear
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. current — happening now
  11. drill — the tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. current — electric
  15. drill — army training
  16. court — for sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. capital — money
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. current — of water
  23. kid — child
  24. trunk — of a car

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