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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. court — of a king
  3. toast — bread
  4. file — a line of people
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. swing — to play on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — music
  18. court — of law
  19. mark — a grade
  20. court — for sport
  21. mine — for digging
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kick — a thrill

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