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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. content — the amount
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. firm — steady
  9. spring — a coil
  10. firm — a company
  11. snap — to click
  12. scale — in music
  13. spring — of water
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spring — the season
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. content — happy

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