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: cue · lash · kid · pound · lean · current · cell · hand

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pound — a weight
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kid — child
  13. current — electric
  14. cue — a hint
  15. hand — help
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cell — in biology
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. lean — thin
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — a signal

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