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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mug — a face
  3. current — happening now
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — child
  15. tube — a container
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. current — electric
  19. roll — a cake
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. row — a line
  23. hand — help
  24. roll — a list

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