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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chair — a leader
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — in sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. kick — in football
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rule — a law
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rule — government
  17. season — of the year
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — of law
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chair — a professorship

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