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: court · hand · track · fan · pit · can · root · drill

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — a song
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. root — of a word
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — army training
  10. root — the cause
  11. track — to keep track
  12. court — of law
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. track — a path
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — of a plant
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — help

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