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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. kid — child
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spell — magic
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — the fish
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spell — letters
  24. perch — for a bird

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