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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stock — shares
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cap — a lid
  23. court — of law
  24. bat — in an idiom

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