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: present · mouse · content · foot · chest · game · shower · clip

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. clip — a video
  6. foot — a measure
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. clip — to cut
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. clip — for paper
  14. present — the time now
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — there
  19. chest — a box
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — a match
  22. content — the amount
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. present — a gift

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