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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
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Word bank
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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: content · arm · calf · staff · chest · court · season · ruler

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. content — the amount
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — in sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. court — of a king
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. court — of law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — happy
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — a box
  21. court — for sport
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. staff — a stick
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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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