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 120 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: foot · dip · mouse · pop · fan · bulb · staff · wound

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. wound — an injury

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