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: stock · wave · chair · court · kick · swing · object · perch

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. swing — to play on
  3. object — an aim
  4. court — of a king
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. court — for sport
  7. swing — in golf
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — goods
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. perch — the fish
  14. object — a thing
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. court — of law
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. swing — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. kick — in football
  24. object — to protest

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