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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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 — child
  3. swing — in golf
  4. craft — boats
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. swing — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tear — to rip
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — a skill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — a safe
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. craft — a handicraft

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