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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kid — child
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — all right
  19. hand — help
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. game — wild animals
  24. hand — in cards

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