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 120 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: chest · file · chip · kick · fine · kid · face · wind

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. kid — child
  5. face — to point toward
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fine — high quality
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. chest — a box
  13. file — a tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. file — a document
  16. wind — moving air
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kick — in football
  23. fine — all right
  24. wind — to turn a key

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