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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bore — to drill
  4. court — for sport
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — to tire
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pop — soda
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pop — music
  17. kick — in football
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pop — to visit

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