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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rock — a stone
  4. capital — a city
  5. rock — music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mug — a face
  12. scale — size or range
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. mug — a cup
  18. scale — in music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. capital — money
  21. mug — to rob
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. capital — a big letter

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