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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. band — a music group
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. band — a ring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chest — a box
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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