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 ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. root — of a plant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pound — a weight
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kid — child
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mine — for digging
  22. root — of a word
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wave — with your hand

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