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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. net — for catching
  3. face — to point toward
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — after costs
  6. kid — child
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kid — to tease
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ground — crushed
  16. face — to confront
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. object — a thing
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitcher — a jug

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