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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. staff — a stick
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — to tire
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — of a king
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bore — to drill
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. court — for sport
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cold — not warm
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mine — for digging
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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