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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. charge — a price
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — in football
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — in music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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