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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. hand — help
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ground — the earth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. key — in music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ground — a position
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. kid — child
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kick — in football
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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