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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — of law
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. object — a thing
  8. court — of a king
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pass — a permit
  15. content — happy
  16. staff — employees
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. content — the amount
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. staff — a stick
  24. squash — to crush

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