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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kid — to tease
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — in football
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kid — child
  15. band — a ring
  16. court — of law
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. track — a song
  19. band — a music group
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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