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 116 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: spring · kid · rush · row · bay · race · tube · lie

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spring — of water
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — a line
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — the underground
  21. race — a contest
  22. spring — the season
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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