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: club · court · current · stand · scale · stick · fork · tear

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. court — of a king
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. club — for golf
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. club — for dancing
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. current — of water
  15. court — for sport
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — a group
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  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