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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kick — in football
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. scale — in music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fine — all right
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. dip — to dunk

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