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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — of law
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. net — in sport
  7. court — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — for catching
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — of a king
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mine — for digging
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. net — after costs
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mine — belonging to me

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