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 120 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 · march · can · pit · track · hide · key · rush

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — hurry
  3. court — of law
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. march — music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. key — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. can — to be able to
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — of a king
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. march — the month

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