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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. swing — in golf
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pop — music
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kid — child
  11. pit — a hole
  12. swing — to play on
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fork — a garden tool

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