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 · leaves · stand · saw · rule · foot · date · pass

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rule — government
  4. date — the fruit
  5. court — of a king
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stand — to bear
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rule — a law
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of law
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. leaves — to go away

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