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: rule · cap · march · rush · bear · squash · kid · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — hurry
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — to crush
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. court — for sport
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. kid — child
  19. court — of law
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bear — the animal

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