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: leaves · file · jam · face · kid · pit · court · band

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. kid — child
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. court — of a king
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. file — a line of people
  10. face — to point toward
  11. court — of law
  12. band — a music group
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. file — a tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. court — for sport
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. file — a document
  23. kid — to tease
  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