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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cell — in biology
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. can — to be able to
  12. object — an aim
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. pop — soda
  17. pass — a permit
  18. object — a thing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cell — a phone
  24. dip — to sink

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