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: suit · court · rule · root · face · saw · club · foot

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. rule — government
  5. club — a group
  6. root — of a plant
  7. face — to point toward
  8. court — for sport
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. court — of law
  13. foot — a measure
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. club — for dancing
  17. face — part of the head
  18. suit — in cards
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. root — the cause
  22. rule — a law
  23. root — of a word
  24. rule — to rule out

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