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: mouse · hand · swing · wound · scale · row · press · jam

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. scale — in music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. scale — size or range
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wound — an injury
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. swing — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. press — to push
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hand — in cards
  21. swing — in golf
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hand — help

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