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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wound — an injury
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — in football
  16. scale — size or range
  17. object — a thing
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fine — all right

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