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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wax — to grow
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — child
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — to tease
  13. march — the month
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — in a race
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. arm — part of the body

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