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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kid — to tease
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. file — a tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. net — in sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. file — a line of people
  12. net — for catching
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pound — a weight
  19. file — a document
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — child
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stand — for spectators

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