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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — to recline
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. kid — child
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rash — a series
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wind — moving air

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