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: roll · ruler · cabinet · mug · object · mouse · chest · content

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mug — a face
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. content — happy
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — the amount
  11. mug — a cup
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. roll — a list
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. object — an aim

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