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: march · dip · current · jam · lie · kid · key · hide

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. current — happening now
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. kid — child
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — to recline
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — the month
  14. dip — to sink
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kid — to tease
  21. current — electric
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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