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: present · chest · court · march · snap · stand · staff · roll

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. court — of a king
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chest — a box
  5. present — the time now
  6. chest — of your body
  7. staff — employees
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. court — for sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chest — of your body
  12. present — there
  13. roll — a cake
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — a gift
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. court — of law
  22. snap — to click
  23. roll — a list
  24. march — the month

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