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 · march · rest · bark · coach · deal · stand · current

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. current — happening now
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. stand — to bear
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bark — to shout
  11. court — of law
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — to handle
  14. march — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — for sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. march — the month
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. deal — a big deal

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