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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fall — the season
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. chest — a box
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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