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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — in football
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rash — a series
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — on the skin

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