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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — a company
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. firm — decided
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mate — a friend
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pitch — completely
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitch — a sports field

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