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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rash — a series
  4. suit — to fit
  5. capital — a city
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — thin
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pit — in a race
  13. court — of law
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. court — for sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lean — to bend
  24. capital — money

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