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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kid — to tease
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. tear — to rip
  9. content — the amount
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. content — happy
  12. mug — a face
  13. current — electric
  14. mate — a partner
  15. current — happening now
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mug — a cup
  18. current — of water
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — in music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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