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: mark · court · game · tear · face · stick · pit · patient

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. mark — a grade
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — a trace
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — of law
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. game — wild animals
  14. court — of a king
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — in a race
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — from crying
  23. court — for sport
  24. game — a match

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