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 · game · stand · chest · bay · lie · net · wound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — for catching
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. net — in sport
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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