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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. court — for sport
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fine — all right
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rule — a law
  8. shower — to wash
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. court — of law
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — in football
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. court — of a king
  17. shower — rain
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rule — government

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