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: key · pitch · date · kid · rest · pop · foot · shower

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitch — completely
  6. key — in music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — child
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — to wash
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pop — to visit
  18. shower — rain
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pop — music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pop — soda
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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