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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. court — of law
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stock — shares
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — for sport
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. stock — goods
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bark — to shout
  17. charge — in control
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. court — of a king
  24. ball — a dance

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