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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. firm — a company
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — decided
  9. wind — moving air
  10. firm — steady
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — child
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cold — not warm
  19. kid — to tease
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wax — to grow

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