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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rush — hurry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rash — a series
  18. present — a gift
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. present — there
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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