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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. last — to go on
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — finally
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. last — final
  20. net — after costs
  21. stand — to bear
  22. court — of law
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — in football

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