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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a city
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — magic
  13. land — ground
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. land — a country
  21. capital — money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mug — a face
  24. land — to come down

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