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: mouse · fan · drill · cue · bat · face · present · prune

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — the time now
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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