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 · pitch · kick · cell · straw · rush · can · roll

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. kick — in football
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. can — a tin
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. roll — a cake

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