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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. toast — bread
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. current — electric
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. kick — in football
  19. cold — not warm
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — magic
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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