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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — a trace
  4. court — of a king
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a grade
  8. press — newspapers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. kid — to tease
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wind — moving air

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