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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. game — a match
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lean — to bend
  8. game — wild animals
  9. snap — to click
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lean — thin
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cabinet — ministers

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