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: bound · court · track · mate · swing · trunk · cabinet · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. court — of a king
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. court — of law
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — obliged
  13. court — for sport
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — in golf
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. swing — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. swing — to play on

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