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: arm · leaves · spell · pop · kid · present · coach · tube

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pop — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. present — the time now
  8. spell — letters
  9. tube — a container
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. present — a gift
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kid — child
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. present — there
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tube — in a tire

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