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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. content — happy
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — the amount
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. shower — rain
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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