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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. content — the amount
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cue — a signal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — all right
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kid — child
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. perch — the fish
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. content — happy
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kid — to tease
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. sharp — clever
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fine — high quality

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