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 124 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: mate · dip · mug · racket · hand · kid · ball · bear

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mate — a partner
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ball — a great time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ball — a dance

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