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: rest · clip · bay · arm · can · ruler · stand · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. clip — for paper
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. clip — a video
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. clip — to cut
  22. can — a tin
  23. kick — in football
  24. ruler — for measuring

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