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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — to play on
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. swing — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. swing — in golf
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — to handle
  24. sharp — clever

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