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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. snap — to click
  4. race — humankind
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. date — the fruit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ground — a position
  20. race — the arms race
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. race — a contest

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