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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. court — of a king
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. clip — a video
  11. current — of water
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rock — a stone
  14. current — happening now
  15. clip — to cut
  16. court — of law
  17. rock — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mark — a grade
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — electric
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mark — to pay attention

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