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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stock — goods
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a committee
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — of law
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — to get on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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