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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rush — hurry
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kid — child
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — the fruit
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kid — to tease

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