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: deal · pound · row · sharp · court · foot · roll · stand

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. row — a line
  3. foot — a measure
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. court — of law
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. row — to paddle
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. court — for sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. roll — a cake
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pound — a weight
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — of a king
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — to handle
  24. roll — a list

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