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: pit · fall · straw · sharp · deal · bass · court · calf

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. court — of law
  6. bass — low music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — the fish
  11. court — of a king
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fall — to drop
  14. sharp — clever
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fall — to drop
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. court — for sport
  24. deal — an agreement

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