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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — the season
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. staff — a stick
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. staff — employees
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. scale — for weighing

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