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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. game — a match
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — hasty
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — child
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — a series
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kid — to tease
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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