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

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. ground — the earth
  4. present — a gift
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stock — shares
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — boats
  9. court — of law
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kick — in football
  17. court — of a king
  18. present — the time now
  19. court — for sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. craft — a skill
  24. present — there

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