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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. scale — size or range
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pit — in a race
  6. current — of water
  7. club — a group
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. club — for golf
  14. tear — from crying
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. current — happening now
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — in music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kid — child
  23. current — electric
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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