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: tear · deal · tube · mate · lie · pitcher · club · kid

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mate — a friend
  9. club — a group
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — the underground
  13. kid — child
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tube — a container
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. club — for dancing
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. club — for golf

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