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: fine · deal · bore · court · bass · coach · calf · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. court — for sport
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fine — all right
  15. bore — to tire
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — of law
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — the fish

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