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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cold — an illness
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. court — for sport
  8. press — to push
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — a publisher
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. court — of law
  17. chip — for betting
  18. court — of a king
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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