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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kick — in football
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. field — a subject
  7. current — electric
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. current — of water
  10. mug — to rob
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — for sport
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. field — farmland
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. current — happening now

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