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: chest · sharp · mouse · roll · club · cabinet · racket · mine

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chest — of your body
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. club — a group
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chest — a box

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