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: club · court · firm · tear · pit · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. court — of law
  5. club — a group
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — to rip
  8. court — for sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. court — of a king
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mark — a grade
  14. firm — steady
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — a trace
  17. firm — decided
  18. tear — from crying

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