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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wake — a trail
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kid — child
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — a series
  20. foot — a measure
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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