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: file · land · dip · court · rock · season · coach · wax

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. file — a tool
  3. land — ground
  4. court — of law
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. file — a document
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. land — a country
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — to come down
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. season — of the year
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. dip — to dunk

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