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 120 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. court — for sport
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. swing — music
  5. court — of law
  6. file — a line of people
  7. content — happy
  8. snap — to click
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. file — a tool
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. content — the amount
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. court — of a king

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