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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. race — humankind
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — child
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. race — a contest
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pound — a weight
  24. kid — to tease

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