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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. game — wild animals
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chair — a leader
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — ground
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — to come down
  15. mate — to breed
  16. land — a country
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mate — a partner
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. game — a match
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mate — a friend

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