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 · file · kick · last · calf · pitch · safe

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. last — to go on
  4. file — a document
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — final
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — of a king
  18. kick — in football
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — finally
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. file — a tool

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