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: cold · mouse · saw · mug · pitcher · kick · plane · firm

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mug — a cup
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cold — not warm
  14. firm — decided
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — steady
  17. cold — an illness
  18. firm — a company
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mug — to rob
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kick — with a leg

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