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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — to wash
  4. court — of law
  5. kick — in football
  6. rule — a law
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — for sport
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. shower — rain
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. charge — in control
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tube — the underground
  23. court — of a king
  24. lash — an eyelash

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