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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. object — to protest
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. plane — a tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. court — for sport
  11. object — a thing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. court — of a king
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pound — a weight

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