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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. drill — army training
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kick — in football
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. last — final
  15. hand — help
  16. last — to go on
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. scale — size or range
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mug — a cup

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