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: mark · lie · chip · straw · shower · cabinet · tube · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kid — child
  7. mark — a trace
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chip — to eat
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — a container
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kid — to tease
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — dry grass
  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