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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a match
  6. season — in sport
  7. bat — the animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kick — in football
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. game — wild animals
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. drill — army training
  15. present — the time now
  16. lean — thin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lean — to bend
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. season — to add flavour
  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