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: foot · staff · straw · kick · cue · rock · court · track

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — for sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. court — of a king
  8. track — a path
  9. court — of law
  10. track — a song
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — to keep track
  14. foot — a measure
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. staff — a stick
  24. straw — a straw man

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