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. The water is too ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kick — in football
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — an illness
  20. board — to get on
  21. court — of a king
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. court — for sport
  24. bank — for money

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