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 116 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: key · dip · kid · field · cold · staff · lie · kick

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. key — the most important part
  3. staff — a stick
  4. dip — to sink
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — child
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — for a lock
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. field — a subject
  17. cold — an illness
  18. kick — in football
  19. key — in music
  20. cold — not warm
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. dip — a sauce

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