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: pitcher · mug · content · hand · kid · saw · kick · mine

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mug — a face
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hand — help
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — the amount
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mug — to rob
  24. kick — in football

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