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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kid — child
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. snap — to click
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — to trim

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