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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. last — finally
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hand — help
  6. last — final
  7. mate — a friend
  8. court — of a king
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — clever
  13. last — to go on
  14. present — there
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bank — of a river
  17. present — a gift
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hand — in cards
  20. court — of law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. court — for sport
  23. mate — a partner
  24. trunk — of a tree

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