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: cap · root · clip · racket · calf · game · court · kick

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a match
  6. kick — in football
  7. cap — of ice
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. game — wild animals
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cap — a lid
  12. root — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. court — for sport
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. root — of a word
  18. court — of a king
  19. cap — a hat
  20. court — of law
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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