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: bat · stand · sharp · cabinet · court · pound · mug · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. court — of a king
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — for sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. court — of law
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — to bear
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mug — a face
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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