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 120 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: bass · bark · mouse · kid · club · lie · spell · mate

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. club — for golf
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — low music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mate — a friend
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bass — the fish
  18. kid — to tease
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. club — a group
  24. spell — magic

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