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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rock — music
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rock — a stone
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. craft — boats
  13. pound — a weight
  14. scale — in music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. scale — size or range
  23. kid — child
  24. stand — for spectators

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