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 124 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. last — to go on
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — finally
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — final
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kid — to tease
  19. row — a line
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kid — child

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