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: club · cabinet · stand · foot · pitch · toast · court · fine

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. club — for golf
  3. court — of a king
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. court — of law
  19. toast — bread
  20. club — a group
  21. fine — all right
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pitch — completely
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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