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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — in football
  11. bat — the animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — help
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hand — in cards
  24. board — to get on

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