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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rash — a series
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. rash — hasty
  11. track — a song
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bound — tied together
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bound — obliged

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