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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — child
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kid — to tease
  19. suit — to fit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — music
  24. lean — to rest against

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