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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. suit — in cards
  5. root — the cause
  6. current — electric
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — clothes
  12. current — of water
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. stand — to bear
  18. current — happening now
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. track — a path
  24. suit — to fit

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