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: court · lean · ground · kick · bank · ruler · band · chair

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kick — in football
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. court — of law
  9. lean — thin
  10. band — a music group
  11. ground — crushed
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — a position
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — of a king

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