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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stand — to bear
  3. capital — money
  4. sharp — clever
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — final
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. capital — a city
  13. last — to go on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chip — to eat
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. last — finally
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — a division
  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