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: root · object · pitch · board · toast · court · fine · drill

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitch — completely
  4. court — of a king
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. drill — a practice
  9. root — the cause
  10. object — an aim
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. object — a thing
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. root — of a word
  17. court — of law
  18. drill — army training
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. board — to get on
  23. drill — the tool
  24. board — a committee

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