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 · season · fall · court · nail · press · game · plane

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — of law
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. foot — a measure
  13. game — a match
  14. press — to push
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — a tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fall — the season
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. season — in sport

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