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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. land — ground
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. land — a country
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spell — magic
  21. kick — in football
  22. land — to come down
  23. lean — thin
  24. deal — a big deal

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