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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — happy
  3. swing — in golf
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. hand — help
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — to bear
  19. kick — in football
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. kick — with a leg

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