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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kick — in football
  6. lean — thin
  7. press — to push
  8. band — a music group
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. press — newspapers
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bore — to tire
  19. band — a ring
  20. branch — a division
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — to drill
  23. shower — rain
  24. rule — government

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