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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. date — the fruit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. club — for golf
  6. degree — temperature
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bass — the fish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. degree — an amount
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bass — low music
  24. degree — from a university

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