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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — the arms race
  5. field — farmland
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lie — to recline
  9. content — the amount
  10. field — for sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. drill — a practice
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. present — there
  15. drill — army training
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. present — the time now
  20. race — a contest
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. field — a subject
  23. drill — the tool
  24. race — humankind

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