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: mouse · lash · kick · bat · cue · chair · mate · press

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mate — to breed
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mate — a friend
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chair — a leader
  14. press — to push
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. press — newspapers

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