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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chest — of your body
  7. date — the fruit
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. race — humankind
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — a contest
  13. chest — a box
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. toast — bread
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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