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: court · wake · cabinet · charge · date · kick · foot · wound

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — for sport
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. foot — a measure
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. charge — a price
  10. kick — in football
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — in control
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. court — of a king
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. foot — the bottom

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