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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rash — a series
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. present — the time now
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rest — a break
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kick — in football
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spell — magic
  21. present — a gift
  22. saw — the tool
  23. present — there
  24. game — a kind of play

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