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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chest — a box
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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