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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — a coil
  3. press — a publisher
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fork — in a road
  6. kick — in football
  7. spring — of water
  8. hand — help
  9. branch — a division
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kid — to tease
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. press — to push
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. vault — a safe
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kid — child

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