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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. field — a subject
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — farmland
  11. charge — in control
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. charge — a price
  16. rash — a series
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. roll — a cake
  20. court — of law
  21. charge — electricity
  22. field — for sport
  23. roll — a list
  24. rash — on the skin

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