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: rest · can · tear · court · scale · key · rush · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. rest — a break
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. scale — in music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tear — to rip

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