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: date · ground · tube · present · kid · temple · mate · perch

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — a friend
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. date — the fruit
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. present — there
  11. kid — child
  12. ground — the earth
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. ground — crushed
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — a position

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