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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kick — in football
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cue — a hint
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. key — the most important part
  8. content — happy
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — the amount
  12. cue — a signal
  13. key — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — for tennis

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