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: kick · suit · date · capital · chest · club · ball · saw

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. suit — clothes
  9. capital — a city
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chest — of your body
  16. date — the fruit
  17. club — a group
  18. chest — a box
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. capital — money
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. capital — a big letter

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