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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mug — a cup
  5. file — a tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. file — a document
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cap — a lid
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wake — before a funeral

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