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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cold — not warm
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. scale — in music
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — a safe
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. scale — size or range
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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