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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitch — completely
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. drill — a practice
  14. kick — in football
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fork — in a road
  23. drill — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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