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

Word bank: court · mark · chair · present · rush · leaves · land · pound

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. present — there
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. land — to come down
  13. present — the time now
  14. court — of law
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. present — a gift
  19. court — for sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — ground
  23. court — of a king
  24. rush — hurry

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