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: field · mouse · bank · bat · content · shower · cabinet · mug

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. field — a subject
  4. mug — to rob
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. field — farmland
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mug — a face
  18. field — for sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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