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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. scale — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — a subject
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kick — in football
  16. suit — to fit
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. suit — in cards
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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