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: snap · arm · object · trunk · court · rash · kick · scale

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. object — to protest
  5. kick — in football
  6. snap — to click
  7. court — of a king
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. scale — size or range
  10. court — for sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. court — of law
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. object — a thing
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. scale — in music
  24. object — an aim

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