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: court · club · game · arm · kick · snap · bore · bay

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. game — a match
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. court — of law
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. court — of a king
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bore — to tire
  19. snap — to click
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. game — wild animals
  23. kick — in football
  24. club — for golf

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