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 116 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: kid · pound · cell · mark · safe · pitcher · trunk · kick

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — in football
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mark — a grade
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kid — child
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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