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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tear — to rip
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hand — help
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. date — the fruit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kid — child
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hand — in cards

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