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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cap — of ice
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kid — child
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — bread
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — music
  24. date — on the calendar

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