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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. game — a match
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. kid — to tease
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. kid — child
  24. ruler — a monarch

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