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: object · pit · kid · straw · date · lean · content · cap

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pit — in a race
  5. object — an aim
  6. content — happy
  7. object — to protest
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lean — thin
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. content — the amount
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. object — a thing
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cap — a lid
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. straw — a straw man

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