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 124 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. clip — a video
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — a gift
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — to fit

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