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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mate — a friend
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — to breed
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kid — child
  20. board — a committee
  21. perch — the fish
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. degree — from a university

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