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: leaves · racket · nail · wake · rush · chair · can · court

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wake — a trail
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. court — of a king
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — a thrill

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