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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chest — of your body
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. present — the time now
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chest — a box
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — a law
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chest — of your body
  20. deal — to handle
  21. present — there
  22. rule — government
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rule — to rule out

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