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: toast · fan · swing · foot · pit · cap · club · court

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cap — a hat
  11. club — for dancing
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. toast — bread
  15. cap — a lid
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. swing — in golf
  18. club — for golf
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. court — of a king
  23. club — a group
  24. pit — in a race

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