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: suit · charge · can · clip · bat · march · court · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. clip — to cut
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. march — music
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bat — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. charge — electricity
  20. clip — a video
  21. charge — in control
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. can — to be able to
  24. suit — clothes

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