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: foot · fan · stand · cue · wind · fine · pit · firm

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. firm — decided
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fine — all right
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. foot — the bottom

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