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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — goods
  10. spell — magic
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. file — a document
  16. stock — shares
  17. spell — a short time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — letters
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. kid — child
  24. cell — a phone

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