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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kid — child
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mate — a partner
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. net — in sport
  18. rash — a series
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for golf
  23. net — for catching
  24. kid — to tease

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