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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ball — a dance
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — ground
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. land — a country
  9. kid — child
  10. band — a ring
  11. squash — to crush
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kid — to tease
  15. suit — to fit
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. game — a match
  20. band — a music group
  21. wax — to grow
  22. squash — the sport
  23. land — to come down
  24. ball — a great time

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