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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pop — to visit
  4. race — humankind
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pop — soda
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chest — a box
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. season — of the year
  19. race — a contest
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. sharp — clever
  24. season — in sport

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