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: key · kick · sharp · land · court · stand · rest · march

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. court — of a king
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. key — for a lock
  10. land — a country
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. march — the month
  13. land — ground
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. kick — in football
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. march — music
  19. rest — a break
  20. land — to come down
  21. march — the month
  22. key — the most important part
  23. court — of law
  24. rest — what's left

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