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: lean · fork · squash · cap · kick · wave · bat · wind

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. cap — a lid
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kick — in football
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — thin
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. squash — to crush
  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