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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. kid — child
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — in sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. band — a ring
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. snap — to click
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. band — a music group
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ball — a dance

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