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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. kid — to tease
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rash — hasty
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — a series
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kid — child
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. march — music
  24. tear — from crying

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