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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bank — of a river
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cell — in biology
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. bulb — for light
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — the month
  24. bulb — of a plant

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