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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. clip — for paper
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. suit — in cards
  9. court — of a king
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. suit — clothes
  13. track — to keep track
  14. suit — to fit
  15. track — a path
  16. clip — to cut
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. clip — a video
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a song
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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