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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kid — child
  20. foot — a measure
  21. hand — help
  22. lean — thin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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