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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. march — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of law
  6. press — to push
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — a publisher
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. current — electric
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. plane — a tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. march — the month
  16. court — for sport
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. court — of a king
  20. game — a match
  21. march — the month
  22. current — of water
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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