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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. land — to come down
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. land — a country
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — ground
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. track — a song
  12. season — of the year
  13. track — to keep track
  14. firm — steady
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. track — a path
  20. fork — in a road
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. suit — in cards
  24. firm — decided

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