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: cap · saw · game · kid · perch · hand · deal · arm

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kid — child
  9. game — wild animals
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — a match
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cap — a hat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — of ice
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. hand — in cards
  23. perch — the fish
  24. saw — the tool

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