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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. object — an aim
  3. clip — a video
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kid — to tease
  9. object — a thing
  10. clip — to cut
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stem — to come from
  15. court — for sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. kid — child
  18. clip — for paper

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