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: hand · kid · spring · wound · hide · deal · prune · current

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — of water
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hand — in cards
  18. kid — child
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — to tease
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. hide — animal skin

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