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: kick · cue · wave · court · trunk · last · cell · fall

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. court — of a king
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cue — a signal
  11. court — of law
  12. cell — in biology
  13. last — to go on
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — final
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cell — a phone
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. last — finally
  24. fall — to drop

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