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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — a city
  9. mate — a partner
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. current — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. current — electric
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. capital — money

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