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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. content — happy
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bank — of a river
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to confront
  11. rule — government
  12. content — the amount
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. kick — in football
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bank — for money
  24. face — to point toward

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