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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hand — in cards
  3. court — for sport
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. net — for catching
  8. court — of a king
  9. hand — help
  10. court — of law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. net — after costs
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. press — a publisher
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. press — newspapers
  20. net — in sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — to push

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