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 120 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: leaves · hand · foot · spell · pit · wound · court · pop

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pop — music
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pit — in a race
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — a hole
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — a measure
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pop — soda
  21. court — of law
  22. spell — letters
  23. court — for sport
  24. wound — an injury

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