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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. band — a music group
  6. staff — a stick
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. row — a line
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a quarrel

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