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: mouse · rest · fan · chip · pitcher · saw · bat · race

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. race — humankind
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — a contest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — a supporter

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