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 · kid · leaves · ground · racket · mine · bore · staff

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ground — crushed
  19. kid — child
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. jam — in traffic

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