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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pound — a weight
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. craft — boats
  9. present — the time now
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. kid — child
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — a leader
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — a gift
  22. kid — to tease
  23. craft — a skill
  24. face — to confront

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