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: pitch · object · fine · wake · kick · kid · trunk · rule

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kid — to tease
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. kid — child
  8. object — a thing
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rule — a law
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitch — completely
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. kick — in football

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