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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. kid — to tease
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ball — a great time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — in music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wind — moving air
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lash — an eyelash

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