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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — the amount
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ball — a dance
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. content — happy
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. shower — rain
  24. content — videos and posts

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