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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. tear — to rip
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mug — to rob
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. face — part of the head
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. face — to point toward
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kick — in football
  21. face — to confront
  22. tear — from crying
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kick — a thrill

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