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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — music
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kid — to tease
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kid — child

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