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: bound · tear · toast · chip · stock · nail · court · leaves

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. toast — bread
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chip — for betting
  5. court — of a king
  6. chip — to eat
  7. court — for sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. tear — to rip
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bound — certain
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tear — from crying
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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