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: lean · lie · suit · fan · court · fall · patient · game

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. game — wild animals
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — to drop
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. suit — in cards
  13. game — a match
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. court — of a king
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fall — the season
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — for sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lean — thin

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