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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. court — of a king
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chip — for betting
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — of law
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. court — for sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lie — to recline

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