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: wound · tube · track · net · content · rush · mouse · mug

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. track — a path
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — to rob
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. net — after costs
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. net — in sport
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. content — happy
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mug — a face
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — for catching

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