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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — a gift
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. present — there
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — the underground
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. present — the time now
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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