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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. row — a line
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — child
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rest — a break
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stock — shares
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — goods
  24. row — to paddle

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