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 116 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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rule — a law
  11. branch — a division
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. content — the amount
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — happy
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kick — with a leg

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