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: rush · game · march · arm · lie · bore · vault · court

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. court — for sport
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — to drill
  12. march — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. court — of law
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. game — a match
  19. vault — a safe
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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