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 · wave · plane · lash · stick · fork · mouse · rule

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bat — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — to eat with

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