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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. club — for golf
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bore — to tire
  7. kick — in football
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. club — a group
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bore — to drill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. degree — an amount
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — from a university

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