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: cabinet · object · mouse · bay · rush · file · capital · snap

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. file — a line of people
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. rush — hurry
  17. object — a thing
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. file — a document
  20. capital — money
  21. snap — to click
  22. object — an aim
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mouse — the animal

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