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: board · foot · shower · clip · kick · arm · lie · mine

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. foot — a measure
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — to recline
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. shower — rain
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. clip — to cut
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. board — a committee
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mine — for digging

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