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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pit — in a race
  4. band — a ring
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. band — a music group
  8. field — for sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ground — crushed
  12. field — farmland
  13. kick — in football
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pit — a hole
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. field — a subject
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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