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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kick — in football
  6. court — of law
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. court — of a king
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. court — for sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ground — a position
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ground — the earth
  24. plane — a tool

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