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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mate — a friend
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — in football
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pit — a hole
  23. court — of law
  24. mate — to breed

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