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: deal · mine · season · toast · mouse · wound · object · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — in sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. toast — bread
  6. mine — for digging
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. object — to protest
  15. season — of the year
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — a thing
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. object — an aim
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mine — belonging to me

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