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: tube · track · hand · season · lash · drill · stem · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — help
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. track — a song
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stem — to come from
  18. track — to keep track
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. track — a path
  23. season — in sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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