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 · roll · hide · safe · scale · rest · nail · land

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — a break
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — of a king
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — ground

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