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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fine — all right
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. court — of law
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. court — for sport
  14. kick — in football
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. court — of a king
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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