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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. snap — to click
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fine — all right
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — in football
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a hole
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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