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: dip · mouse · fan · object · land · tear · cap · wake

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — a country
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — a trail
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. object — an aim
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — of ice
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — to protest
  19. land — to come down
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cap — a lid
  23. dip — to sink
  24. land — ground

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