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: bear · wave · mouse · firm · stand · bat · snap · field

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. firm — a company
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. firm — decided
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. firm — steady
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. field — a subject
  19. snap — to click
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. field — farmland
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mouse — 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