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 120 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: rule · court · kid · bat · pitcher · bore · hand · bank

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — of a king
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. court — for sport
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. hand — help
  24. court — of law

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