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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. ball — a great time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. content — the amount
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. court — of a king
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — all right
  12. content — happy
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — for sport
  16. rule — government
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — high quality
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — a law
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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