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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. scale — size or range
  8. content — the amount
  9. mate — a friend
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rush — hurry
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mate — a partner
  17. scale — in music
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. content — happy
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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