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: game · spring · mouse · scale · bank · foot · racket · hide

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. spring — the season
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — a measure
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spring — of water
  21. game — a match
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — in music

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