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: band · bear · net · bat · deal · fan · wake · mouse

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. deal — to handle
  9. band — a ring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. net — after costs
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wake — a trail
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — in sport
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bear — the animal
  22. band — a music group
  23. net — for catching
  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