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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pop — to visit
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tear — from crying
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pop — music
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. ball — a great time
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. row — to paddle
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a line
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pop — soda

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