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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. court — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. object — a thing
  7. staff — a stick
  8. sharp — clever
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — to handle
  11. object — an aim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — the fish
  23. object — to protest
  24. net — 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