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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rush — hurry
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — certain

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