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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — in football
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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