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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitch — completely
  6. perch — the fish
  7. degree — temperature
  8. charge — a price
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. degree — an amount
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. charge — in control
  17. kick — in football
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. charge — electricity
  24. calf — a young animal

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