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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spell — letters
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — a short time
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. track — a path
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. kid — child
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kid — to tease
  19. roll — a list
  20. spell — magic
  21. track — to keep track
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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