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: field · mate · kick · key · lean · tube · club · bark

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. club — for golf
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. field — for sport
  5. mate — a partner
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. field — farmland
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — in music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lean — thin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. club — a group
  20. field — a subject
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lean — to bend
  24. key — for a lock

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