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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · tear · pitch · pit · stick · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — child
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. object — a thing
  9. tear — from crying
  10. object — to protest
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. object — an aim

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