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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kid — to tease
  3. field — for sport
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. sharp — clever
  13. field — farmland
  14. shower — to wash
  15. field — a subject
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — rain
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. kid — child
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kick — in football
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bowl — to roll

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