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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. firm — decided
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cell — a phone
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cell — in biology
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. firm — a company
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — steady
  24. fan — a supporter

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