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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rash — hasty
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a ring
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — a position
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — army training

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