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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. court — of a king
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to click
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. game — a match
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a dance

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