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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. press — to push
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — in football
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — a group
  20. rest — a break
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — a division
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — for golf

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