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: race · temple · dip · pop · scale · rush · kid · bat

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. race — humankind
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rush — hurry
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pop — soda
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. race — the arms race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kid — child
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bat — for baseball

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