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: court · hide · wound · kick · jam · club · pitch · coach

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. club — a group
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wound — an injury
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — for sport
  22. kick — in football
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. jam — a tight spot

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