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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spell — letters
  5. squash — to crush
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — magic
  8. court — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. court — of law
  12. kid — to tease
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. season — in sport
  16. kid — child
  17. squash — the sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. season — of the year
  20. snap — to click
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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