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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spring — the season
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bat — the animal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lean — thin

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