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: wax · stick · ball · bat · kid · pit · bear · kick

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kick — in football
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wax — to grow
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  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