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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — thin
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stock — goods
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — shares
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — a publisher
  11. court — of a king
  12. press — to push
  13. key — in music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. key — for a lock
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. scale — size or range

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