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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — help
  19. land — a country
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. land — to come down
  22. march — music
  23. land — ground
  24. bass — the fish

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