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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. net — in sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pop — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pop — to visit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bound — certain
  23. pop — soda
  24. bound — tied together

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