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: game · dip · kid · wax · present · pitch · perch · coach

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. present — the time now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kid — child
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kid — to tease
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — a match
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — completely
  15. perch — the fish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. coach — a trainer

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