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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — music
  3. face — to confront
  4. fall — the season
  5. mug — a face
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — in football
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pop — to visit
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pop — soda
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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