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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. clip — for paper
  3. kick — in football
  4. firm — steady
  5. spring — a coil
  6. firm — decided
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — a hole
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. firm — a company
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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