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: roll · cell · content · calf · court · rush · pit · chip

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. court — of law
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. court — of a king
  8. roll — a cake
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. court — for sport
  23. content — happy
  24. roll — on a roll

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