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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — for digging
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cold — not warm
  10. club — for golf
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. can — a tin
  22. cold — an illness
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. face — to confront

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