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: cabinet · chest · lean · firm · pit · hide · kid · ball

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. firm — a company
  3. lean — thin
  4. chest — a box
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. firm — decided
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chest — of your body
  20. firm — steady
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hide — animal skin

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