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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. court — of a king
  3. net — for catching
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — in football
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — in sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. row — a line
  12. net — after costs
  13. court — for sport
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. firm — steady
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bat — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — clever
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — of law
  24. sharp — with an edge

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