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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. court — of a king
  8. chest — a box
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. court — of law
  13. net — for catching
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. track — to keep track
  17. scale — in music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — after costs

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