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 · jam · wake · fan · hand · deal · squash · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — to crush
  6. court — of law
  7. hand — help
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. court — of a king
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. court — for sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. calf — of the leg

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