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: hand · ball · kid · craft · pound · wound · bulb · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — to tease
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — boats
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hand — help
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — an injury

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