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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kid — child
  14. deal — to handle
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — in a tire

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