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: pound · dip · mate · kid · roll · cap · date · mouse

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cap — a lid
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kid — child
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mate — to breed
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. roll — a list

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