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: plane · pit · straw · mine · pitcher · dip · kid · bay

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pit — in a race
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kid — child
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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