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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — soda
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. snap — to click
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pop — music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — to turn a key

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