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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rash — hasty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rash — a series
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. roll — on a roll

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