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: foot · chair · spell · pit · kick · board · mug · tear

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. board — a committee
  3. chair — a leader
  4. foot — a measure
  5. spell — letters
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kick — in football
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. spell — a short time
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mug — a cup
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. spell — magic
  18. pit — in a race
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. board — to get on
  24. kick — a thrill

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