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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fine — all right
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. branch — a division
  19. hand — in cards
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. fine — high quality

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