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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lean — thin
  6. roll — a list
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cell — in biology
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. court — for sport

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