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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lean — thin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mine — for digging
  6. snap — to click
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — of a king
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. court — for sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. court — of law

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