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: staff · tube · calf · march · bank · pitch · kid · race

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bank — for money
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pitch — completely
  15. march — the month
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — humankind
  20. march — music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. tube — a container

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