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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a great time
  6. current — of water
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bound — tied together
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kid — child
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bound — certain
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — to eat with

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