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: last · court · sharp · fan · ruler · spell · race · track

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — clever
  5. last — to go on
  6. court — of a king
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. track — to keep track
  9. race — humankind
  10. spell — magic
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — a path
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — letters
  24. court — for sport

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