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: date · fall · court · clip · cue · bay · rock · bore

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — a signal
  3. court — for sport
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cue — a hint
  8. court — of a king
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rock — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. bore — to tire
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bore — to drill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rock — to move gently

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