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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bass — low music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cue — for pool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. court — of law
  11. cue — a hint
  12. court — for sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. shower — rain
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. court — of a king
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — a signal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. face — part of the head
  24. shower — to wash

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