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: snap · face · rush · mouse · saw · hide · pitcher · wake

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — to confront
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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