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: date · toast · squash · court · face · stand · bear · pit

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. pit — in a race
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. squash — the sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. toast — bread
  12. date — the fruit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. court — for sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pit — a hole
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. court — of a king
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stand — on your feet

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