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: bank · mouse · mine · lean · bat · stock · snap · roll

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. roll — a cake
  7. snap — to click
  8. stock — shares
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stock — goods
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. roll — a list
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lean — thin
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bat — 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