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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. clip — to cut
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. clip — a video
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. land — ground
  10. kid — child
  11. wake — a trail
  12. land — a country
  13. mug — a cup
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. kid — to tease
  20. land — to come down
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mug — a face
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — to rob

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