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: court · kick · fan · plane · ball · pound · chest · ruler

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. chest — of your body
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — for sport
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of a king
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. court — of law
  22. chest — a box
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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