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: fall · pass · chair · roll · kick · court · bark · firm

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. firm — a company
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. court — of a king
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. court — for sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. kick — in football
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. court — of law
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. roll — a list
  24. chair — a leader

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