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: kid · stick · calf · press · cap · land · staff · dip

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. dip — to sink
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cap — a hat
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. land — to come down
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. kid — to tease
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — of ice
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. staff — a stick

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