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: suit · rash · fork · court · last · cabinet · present · bound

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rash — a series
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — of law
  12. last — final
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bound — certain
  16. last — to go on
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — for sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — finally

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