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: trunk · suit · drill · toast · cold · leaves · court · net

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. net — for catching
  3. cold — an illness
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. net — after costs
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. suit — clothes
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. court — of a king
  14. suit — in cards
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cold — not warm
  17. drill — a practice
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. net — in sport
  21. court — for sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. toast — bread

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