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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spell — a short time
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hand — help
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hand — in cards
  21. current — electric
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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