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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. suit — in cards
  3. court — for sport
  4. cell — in biology
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. court — of law
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. staff — a stick
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cell — a phone
  13. suit — to fit
  14. staff — employees
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — clothes

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