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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. present — a gift
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — in music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. court — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hand — help
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. present — there
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. kick — in football
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. present — the time now
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fan — a supporter

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