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

Word bank: kick · fan · mug · prune · tear · arm · key · chip

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. kick — in football
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mug — a face
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — in music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. key — for a lock
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tear — from crying

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