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

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kid — child
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. race — humankind
  10. ground — crushed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ground — a position
  13. court — for sport
  14. race — a contest
  15. court — of a king
  16. chest — a box
  17. kid — to tease
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a skill

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