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 116 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: snap · calf · court · leaves · club · capital · mine · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. court — of law
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — for digging
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. capital — a city
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. club — a group
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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