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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chair — a leader
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. race — the arms race
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. race — a contest
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. court — for sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rest — what's left
  13. race — humankind
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rash — a series
  17. court — of law
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — a break

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