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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fall — to drop
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — in music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. suit — in cards
  9. court — for sport
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fall — to drop
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — a line
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — of law
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fall — the season
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — in a road
  24. root — the cause

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