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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. board — to get on
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. board — a committee
  5. bound — certain
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — tied together
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. straw — dry grass

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