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: staff · bat · dip · shower · mouse · object · clip · bank

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bat — the animal
  3. clip — for paper
  4. dip — to sink
  5. staff — employees
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. clip — a video
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bank — for money
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — to cut
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. shower — rain
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. object — to protest
  19. shower — to wash
  20. object — an aim
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mouse — 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