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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — a match
  9. charge — a price
  10. kick — in football
  11. suit — to fit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stem — to come from
  16. suit — clothes
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control

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