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: stick · court · chip · scale · mate · row · bound · fall

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. court — for sport
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. scale — size or range
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bound — certain
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — in music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. row — a line
  24. mate — a partner

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