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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hand — help
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — thin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — rain
  24. hand — in cards

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