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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — not warm
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — in football
  9. cold — an illness
  10. kid — child
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a dance
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — to tease
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bound — obliged
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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