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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · mouse · pit · staff · bark · wax · mug · ball

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mug — a face
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mug — a cup
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bat — in an idiom

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