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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fork — in a road
  8. swing — music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — help
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chair — a leader
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chair — to sit on

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