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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. object — an aim
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. file — a tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. object — a thing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. file — a document
  18. stand — to bear
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kick — in football
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — a committee
  24. file — a line of people

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