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 · sharp · pit · pop · season · file · temple · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pop — music
  4. file — a document
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. file — a line of people
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. kid — to tease
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. file — a tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. sharp — clever
  24. temple — side of the head

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