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 120 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 · deal · temple · sharp · mug · pitch · cell · kick

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mug — a face
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cell — in biology
  19. kick — in football
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pitch — completely
  23. deal — to handle
  24. sharp — exactly

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