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: bay · bat · trunk · ball · court · field · stand · hide

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. court — of law
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — for sport
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a great time
  16. field — for sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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