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: mouse · net · bound · fall · tear · stick · court · kick

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tear — from crying
  5. court — of a king
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. court — of law
  8. fall — to drop
  9. net — for catching
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — in sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bound — certain
  16. court — for sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. kick — in football
  20. net — after costs
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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