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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. club — a group
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. court — of a king
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bark — to shout
  14. court — for sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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