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: kick · land · racket · mate · leaves · chip · prune · bowl

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — ground
  9. mate — to breed
  10. land — a country
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — to come down
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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