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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. file — a document
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — to eat
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. capital — money
  8. last — finally
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chip — for betting
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. capital — a city
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. file — a tool
  24. kid — child

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