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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. roll — a cake
  10. object — an aim
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — a list
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. object — a thing
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. squash — the vegetable

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