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 120 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: mouse · bear · stick · rush · band · field · bore · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. field — farmland
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. band — a music group
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — child
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a ring
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. field — for sport
  24. rush — a thrill

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