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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chest — a box
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — wild animals

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