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 120 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: ground · band · stick · pit · lash · saw · row · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. pit — in a race
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a ring
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ground — a position
  17. band — a music group
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. row — to paddle

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