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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. drill — army training
  3. ground — a position
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — a safe
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. court — for sport
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bound — certain
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ground — crushed
  24. drill — the tool

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