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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — a country
  3. kick — in football
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bound — obliged
  7. land — to come down
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cell — in biology
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. bound — certain
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. land — ground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kick — a thrill

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