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: kid · field · sharp · straw · lash · kick · cabinet · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — the month
  7. field — a subject
  8. march — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kid — to tease
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. kick — in football
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — child
  24. lash — to lash out

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