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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. tube — a container
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. degree — an amount
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bass — low music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — in a race
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tube — the underground
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. degree — from a university

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