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 116 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. kid — child
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kid — to tease
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a match
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. swing — music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. kick — in football
  16. season — of the year
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. game — wild animals

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