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: racket · race · pit · tube · kid · pitcher · temple · charge

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — humankind
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. race — a contest
  7. charge — a price
  8. kid — child
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — to tease
  14. race — the arms race
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. tube — the underground
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — a container

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