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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of law
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. court — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. court — of a king
  14. march — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. prune — to trim

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