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: rock · rule · court · drill · deal · calf · race · tube

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rock — music
  7. court — of law
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. court — of a king
  13. drill — army training
  14. tube — a container
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. drill — a practice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. race — a contest
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. tube — the underground

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