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: kid · leaves · tear · chip · safe · racket · hand · bark

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — to rip
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kid — child
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hand — in cards
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. chip — to eat
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — out of danger

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