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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. dip — to sink
  12. club — for golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — a group
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. kid — child
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. hide — to keep secret

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