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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. kid — child
  11. kick — in football
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bat — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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