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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · tube · court · rush · stick · stand · march · pop

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pop — soda
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kid — to tease
  8. tube — a container
  9. march — the month
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — music
  16. kid — child
  17. court — of law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. court — of a king
  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