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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · row · kick · bark · cell · cabinet

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fine — all right
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. row — to paddle

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