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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. sharp — clever
  7. present — there
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. present — the time now
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. present — a gift
  22. kid — child
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — in the ear

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