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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. content — happy
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. content — the amount
  10. toast — bread
  11. kick — in football
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hand — help
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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