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: court · staff · swing · bound · perch · shower · root · leaves

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. root — of a word
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — in golf
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — to play on
  9. court — of law
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — certain
  12. shower — rain
  13. staff — a stick
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — of a plant
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bound — obliged
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bound — tied together
  23. root — the cause
  24. shower — to wash

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