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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pit — in a race
  5. last — final
  6. tube — a container
  7. craft — boats
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. last — finally
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. last — to go on
  24. mouse — the animal

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