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: kick · dip · wind · kid · stem · stick · land · wave

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kick — in football
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — to come down
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. land — a country
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. land — ground
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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