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: cell · row · court · patient · squash · mouse · lash · cap

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. court — of law
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. court — for sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. court — of a king
  14. cap — a lid
  15. row — to paddle
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. row — a line
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cap — a hat
  24. squash — to crush

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