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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stand — to bear
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — to keep track
  17. date — the fruit
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. game — wild animals
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. track — a song
  24. perch — the fish

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