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: temple · dip · pitcher · prune · tear · kid · bore · cabinet

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — child
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tear — to rip
  20. dip — to sink
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — to dunk

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