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 120 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: staff · clip · court · vault · key · hand · calf · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pop — soda
  4. key — in music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. court — of a king
  9. key — the most important part
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — of law
  16. hand — help
  17. court — for sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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