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: kick · court · calf · wake · row · bat · lie · march

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lie — to recline
  3. row — a line
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — of law
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. march — the month
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kick — in football
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. court — for sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kick — with a 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