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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stock — goods
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lean — thin
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. clip — to cut
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stock — shares
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cabinet — ministers

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