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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bound — certain
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — letters
  9. kid — child
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kid — to tease
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spell — magic
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bear — to put up with

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