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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. firm — steady
  7. court — for sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. court — of law
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. kid — child
  13. firm — a company
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. straw — dry grass

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