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: mouse · rash · deal · bulb · row · coach · cap · shower

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — a hat
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. deal — to handle
  16. shower — to wash
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. shower — rain
  20. row — a line
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. coach — a trainer

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