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: bear · pit · rush · cabinet · dip · present · kid · kick

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. present — a gift
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kid — child
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kick — in football
  16. present — the time now
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. dip — to sink

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