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 · fine · net · stick · land · scale · rest · rush

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — high quality
  7. land — ground
  8. scale — in music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fine — all right
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — after costs
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  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