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: mine · lie · kick · race · ball · staff · chair · kid

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lie — to recline
  8. race — humankind
  9. kick — in football
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — the arms race
  13. kid — child
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ball — a great time
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kid — to tease

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