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: kid · arm · court · leaves · hide · craft · pitch · club

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kid — to tease
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of law
  12. craft — boats
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. court — of a king
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — child
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. arm — a part of something

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