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: bulb · mouse · game · bore · kid · pound · net · kick

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. net — after costs
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — child
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kick — in football
  24. game — a match

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