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: bat · mouse · lean · date · degree · snap · saw · roll

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. roll — a list
  6. snap — to click
  7. degree — from a university
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. date — the fruit
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. saw — the tool

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