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: rule · kick · court · arm · kid · hand · suit · bore

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kid — to tease
  3. court — of a king
  4. bore — to drill
  5. court — of law
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — help
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. court — for sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — in cards
  15. kid — child
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rule — government
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kick — in football

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