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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a path
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stock — shares
  8. kid — child
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — a song
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — of a king
  22. fall — to drop
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — of ice

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