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: rock · cap · charge · hide · temple · straw · kid · staff

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — employees
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kid — to tease
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cap — a hat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — electricity
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — music
  23. kid — child
  24. temple — a place of worship

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