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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bound — obliged
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. scale — in music
  9. kick — in football
  10. scale — size or range
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spell — magic
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bound — certain
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chest — a box
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — tied together

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