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 116 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 · rest · drill · ground · racket · rash · wound · trunk

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — a series
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — a position
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. drill — army training
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rest — a break
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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