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 · track · hand · foot · vault · leaves · bark · arm

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. court — of law
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. track — a path
  8. hand — in cards
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hand — help
  23. arm — part of the body
  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