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 116 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: racket · bulb · land · mate · kick · drill · chip · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. land — a country
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. land — to come down
  18. mate — a partner
  19. court — of law
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — in football
  23. drill — army training
  24. chip — to eat

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