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: lash · cold · firm · branch · mug · saw · can · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. branch — a division
  5. can — to be able to
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — not warm
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mug — to rob
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mug — a cup
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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