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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. last — to go on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. last — finally
  8. shower — to wash
  9. swing — music
  10. shower — rain
  11. kid — to tease
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — to play on
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. last — final
  24. charge — electricity

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