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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. board — a committee
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — to get on
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tube — a container
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — the bottom

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