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: stick · staff · mine · bowl · rush · bear · kid · bat

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kid — to tease
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bat — for baseball

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