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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — the sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to click
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. band — a ring
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. band — a music group
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. squash — the vegetable

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