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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. swing — in golf
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — certain
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. swing — to play on
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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