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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fine — all right
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. swing — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — in football
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chest — of your body
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — to play on
  22. chest — a box
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. face — to confront

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