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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. march — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. current — electric
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — in sport
  10. march — the month
  11. clip — a video
  12. kid — child
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. march — the month
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. current — happening now
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kid — to tease
  24. clip — to cut

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