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: racket · bore · kid · tear · lean · cue · stick · club

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. kid — child
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. club — for golf
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. club — a group
  12. lean — thin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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