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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a dance
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. hand — help
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a great time
  10. content — the amount
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. chest — a box

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