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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mark — a trace
  6. club — a group
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. can — to be able to
  11. clip — a video
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — a tin
  14. clip — to cut
  15. can — a tin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a grade
  20. club — for dancing
  21. clip — for paper
  22. club — for golf
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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