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: rush · fan · mouse · stand · roll · scale · object · hide

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. roll — a list
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — size or range
  17. object — an aim
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. scale — in music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. object — a thing
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. object — to protest

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