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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a match
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — for catching
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — after costs
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mug — a face
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — thin
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. game — wild animals
  24. hide — animal skin

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