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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kid — child
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. content — happy
  9. kid — to tease
  10. content — the amount
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — of a river
  15. land — to come down
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — music
  24. fall — the season

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