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 · wound · swing · chest · wind · chip · cap · toast

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chest — a box
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cap — a hat
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. swing — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — to eat

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