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: mark · bay · court · stand · shower · sharp · rush · track

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — to keep track
  6. court — for sport
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stand — to bear
  9. shower — to wash
  10. court — of a king
  11. mark — a grade
  12. shower — rain
  13. track — a path
  14. sharp — clever
  15. court — of law
  16. track — a song
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — hurry

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