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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. object — to protest
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bear — the animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. object — an aim
  14. march — music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kid — child
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. object — a thing
  20. kick — in football
  21. march — the month
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — part of the body

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