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: fork · court · cabinet · mouse · last · stand · nail · scale

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. court — of law
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — in music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of a king
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. stand — to bear

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