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: nail · chest · squash · dip · face · trunk · net · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — after costs
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chest — a box
  10. squash — the sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. face — to point toward
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — for catching
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chest — of your body
  24. face — to confront

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