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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. degree — temperature
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pound — a weight
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pit — in a race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kid — child
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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