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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. present — there
  3. band — a ring
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to bend
  8. present — a gift
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. season — in sport
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lean — thin
  16. season — of the year
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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