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: jam · mug · kid · court · stick · rash · tube · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kid — child
  7. court — of a king
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — of law
  12. tube — a container
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — for sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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