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: fall · rush · bear · ruler · court · cue · lie · capital

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. court — of a king
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. court — of law
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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