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: cabinet · kid · hand · temple · bear · mug · wake · key

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kid — child
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mug — to rob
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — help
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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