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: chair · wind · kick · court · mate · rock · board · kid

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chair — a leader
  6. court — of law
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — in football
  10. rock — a stone
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. court — of a king
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — music
  18. board — a committee
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a partner
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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