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 124 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. court — of a king
  3. bound — obliged
  4. court — of law
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — tied together
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. game — a match
  24. pitch — completely

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