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: current · bat · kid · press · saw · bound · mine · mouse

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bound — obliged
  9. kid — child
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — of water
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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