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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. kid — to tease
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — a series
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — child
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — in football
  24. wake — a trail

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