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 116 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: dip · cold · leaves · kid · mug · rock · wound · saw

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. kid — to tease
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cold — an illness
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mug — a face
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. kid — child
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rock — music
  24. dip — to sink

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