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: track · leaves · prune · game · rest · court · foot · staff

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. track — to keep track
  3. court — of a king
  4. foot — a measure
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. court — for sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. track — a path
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. game — wild animals
  16. prune — to trim
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of law
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. prune — the fruit

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