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 · object · stick · kick · club · mouse · pop · current

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. object — a thing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — an aim
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. field — farmland
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pop — soda
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — a group
  16. current — electric
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. object — to protest
  20. pop — music
  21. field — for sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. field — a subject
  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