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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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. hand — in cards
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. season — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mate — to breed
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. season — of the year
  22. kid — child
  23. hand — help
  24. can — to be able to

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