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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fine — all right
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hand — help
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kid — to tease
  11. craft — boats
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cue — a hint
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hand — in cards
  18. craft — a skill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kid — child
  24. cue — a signal

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