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 · ground · rock · band · stock · calf · court · arm

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ground — a position
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. band — a ring
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. court — of a king
  19. ground — the earth
  20. band — a music group
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — crushed
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. court — of law

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