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: press · face · court · game · track · arm · bear · stand

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. face — to confront
  5. court — of law
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. court — for sport
  8. track — to keep track
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. court — of a king
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. game — a match
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. press — newspapers
  17. game — wild animals
  18. press — to push
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stand — to bear
  21. press — a publisher
  22. track — a song
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bear — the animal

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