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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cap — of ice
  3. court — of a king
  4. fall — to drop
  5. last — final
  6. toast — bread
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — of law
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — to go on
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. last — finally
  17. cap — a hat
  18. court — for sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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