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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bass — low music
  9. rash — a series
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. plane — an aircraft

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