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: last · foot · staff · race · hide · can · kid · rash

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. last — to go on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. last — finally
  5. race — humankind
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. staff — a stick
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rash — hasty
  12. race — a contest
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — a series
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — the arms race
  20. kid — to tease
  21. last — final
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — child

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