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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hand — help
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — a face
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a ring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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