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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kick — in football
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — army training
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. track — a song
  13. drill — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. track — to keep track
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — a practice

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