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: plane · court · mouse · pit · hide · fall · club · suit

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pit — in a race
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — clothes
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — for golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. club — a group
  24. plane — an aircraft

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