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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fine — high quality
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. clip — for paper
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. clip — a video
  9. dip — to sink
  10. vault — a safe
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — all right
  22. net — for catching
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. net — in sport

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