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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. root — the cause
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — completely
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kid — child
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — a stick
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. rash — a series
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitch — a sports field

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