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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. season — in sport
  3. kid — to tease
  4. swing — music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — hasty
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. capital — money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rash — a series
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. capital — a city
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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