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 · tear · coach · chip · toast · bear · bank · track

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. toast — bread
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — a song
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bank — for money

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