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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. race — the arms race
  5. net — for catching
  6. staff — employees
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. kid — child
  10. race — a contest
  11. cue — for pool
  12. staff — employees
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a hint
  15. net — after costs
  16. cue — a signal
  17. race — humankind
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — hurry
  24. staff — a stick

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