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: nail · face · wake · mug · hand · cold · pitcher · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cold — an illness
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — help
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wake — a trail
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hand — in cards

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