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: degree · foot · court · saw · fan · fall · march · firm

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fall — the season
  3. saw — the tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. firm — steady
  8. saw — the tool
  9. firm — a company
  10. foot — a measure
  11. firm — decided
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — temperature
  18. court — for sport
  19. march — music
  20. court — of a king
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fall — to drop

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