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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chest — a box
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — in sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. net — for catching
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — child
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. net — after costs

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