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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kick — in football
  4. last — final
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. last — finally
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. last — to go on
  12. bore — to drill
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fine — all right
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. court — for sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. court — of a king
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fine — high quality

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