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: court · fork · date · charge · wound · calf · bay · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. court — of a king
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. charge — in control
  24. wound — an injury

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