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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — in cards
  4. file — a tool
  5. mug — a face
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cue — for pool
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bank — for money

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