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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — a country
  5. content — happy
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. land — ground
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stand — to bear
  11. land — to come down
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — in football
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. content — the amount
  24. charge — in control

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