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: tear · cue · toast · court · shower · stand · pit · pound

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. tear — from crying
  3. court — of law
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cue — a signal
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pit — in a race
  16. court — of a king
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. court — for sport

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