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 · deal · foot · court · fine · fall · wake · stand

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. court — of law
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. court — of a king
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. court — for sport
  13. deal — to handle
  14. club — a group
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. club — for golf
  24. stand — for spectators

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