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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — a face
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bass — low music
  20. mine — for digging
  21. perch — the fish
  22. shower — rain
  23. mug — a cup
  24. patient — a sick person

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