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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — child
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. present — the time now
  11. kick — in football
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bound — certain
  17. capital — money
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kid — to tease
  20. chest — of your body
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. present — there
  24. capital — a city

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