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: stand · spell · mine · patient · court · stock · racket · season

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. court — of a king
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — of law
  8. stock — shares
  9. court — for sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — letters
  13. stock — goods
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — to bear
  18. season — of the year
  19. mine — for digging
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. spell — magic
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — a short time

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