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: kick · spring · ball · lean · court · pitcher · root · arm

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. court — of a king
  3. ball — a dance
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. court — of law
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ball — a great time
  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