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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. track — a song
  4. club — a group
  5. spring — a coil
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spring — of water
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. key — in music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. key — for a lock
  17. season — in sport
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. club — for golf
  21. sharp — clever
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spring — the season
  24. season — of the year

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