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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · calf · court · swing · suit · game · dip · tear

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. dip — to sink
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. spring — of water
  11. suit — clothes
  12. swing — in golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. spring — the season
  16. suit — in cards
  17. swing — music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. game — wild animals
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spring — a coil
  22. game — a match
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. dip — to dunk

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