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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kick — a thrill

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