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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. swing — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. kick — in football
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. trunk — of a car

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