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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. band — a ring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. track — a song
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — finally
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. last — final
  13. track — to keep track
  14. squash — the sport
  15. track — a path
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. band — a music group
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. squash — to crush
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. last — to go 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