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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. land — a country
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — a face
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. ball — a great time
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mug — a cup
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. land — to come down
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mouse — for a computer

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