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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. current — of water
  3. tube — a container
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spring — the season
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — child
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spring — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. spell — letters
  13. mate — a friend
  14. kid — to tease
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spell — magic
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — happening now
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tube — in a tire

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