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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. clip — a video
  7. pit — a hole
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. kick — in football
  11. content — happy
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. race — humankind
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. clip — to cut
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. content — the amount
  24. race — a contest

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