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: racket · kick · calf · hand · cabinet · land · court · pitcher

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — of a king
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hand — in cards
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — to come down
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hand — help
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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