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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bat — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a music group
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. chip — to eat
  17. band — a ring
  18. hide — animal skin

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