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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. kick — in football
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — in golf
  18. row — a line
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fine — high quality
  24. row — to paddle

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