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: kid · chest · saw · season · date · kick · mate · mark

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. kick — in football
  6. mark — a grade
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mate — a partner
  11. season — of the year
  12. chest — of your body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kid — child
  24. season — in sport

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