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: hide · deal · mouse · mug · kid · race · bulb · bound

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bound — certain
  4. race — humankind
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mug — to rob
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — obliged
  24. deal — an agreement

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