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: season · lean · swing · toast · court · march · suit · arm

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lean — to bend
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. swing — to play on
  8. court — for sport
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. swing — music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. swing — in golf
  22. toast — bread
  23. march — music
  24. court — of law

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