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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. object — to protest
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ball — a dance
  12. kid — child
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cold — not warm
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. object — an aim
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. season — of the year
  21. bore — to tire
  22. kid — to tease
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — a thing

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