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 116 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: trunk · key · perch · court · lean · hide · ball · staff

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. court — of law
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lean — thin
  5. perch — the fish
  6. court — for sport
  7. key — the most important part
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. key — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. staff — employees

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