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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kid — child
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — to recline
  6. swing — music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mark — a trace
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — for a lock
  16. swing — to play on
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. hand — help

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