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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. swing — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. swing — in golf
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a line
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rest — a break

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