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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · bulb · kid · kick · straw · bore

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — to drill
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — dry grass

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