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: rush · bear · scale · mouse · racket · row · straw · tear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. tear — from crying
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tear — to rip
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. scale — in music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — to put up with

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