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: season · mouse · bat · lash · bear · ball · stick · game

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ball — a great time
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — the animal

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