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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. staff — employees
  3. wax — to grow
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. staff — a stick
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — the underground
  17. squash — the sport
  18. kid — child
  19. tube — a container
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pit — in a race
  24. staff — employees

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